When I first came to America in the ’90s, to a small college town called Ann Arbor, Michigan, I was unmistakably foreign. I didn’t speak much English, and I looked different. I remember driving just 10 minutes outside of Ann Arbor, and some kids would see me and stare, mouths open, until their ice cream melted 🙂
But America gave this foreign student from Korea a chance. And 30 years later, I’d like to think I’ve done my part — at least my capital gains tax did 🙂
The Midwest charm was a big part of my first impression on America. Some of the ladies working in the school office would call me “honey.” One time, I was submitting a final paper late, and the professor said I could just bring it to his house. When I arrived, I noticed the door was unlocked — back then, many people kept their homes unlocked. And that paper drop-off turned into an open coffee chat with the professor.
By the time I was graduating, Ann Arbor felt like my second home. As they say, you can tell how you feel about a place by how much “home” it feels when you land at the airport. DTW became my airport.
Were things perfect? Of course not. People mostly hung out with other people of the same race even on campus. America was still healing from the wounds of the 1992 LA riots. Most foreign students would remain.. foreign.
But at least things were getting better. There was a sense of optimism. Most people in the ’90s probably believed that by 2025, America would be a more open, less divided society. I doubt many would have imagined that in 2025, student visas would be getting cancelled.
Being open-minded and attracting top talent from around the world is what made America America. If we truly believe in America First, and if we really want to make America great again, we should remain open and welcome the best and brightest from anywhere in the world, regardless of where they’re from.